A service-oriented computing architecture (SOA) provides a set of components that can be invoked and whose interface descriptions can be published and discovered. In this regard, a component is a software object that interacts with other components, encapsulating certain functionality or a set of functionalities. A component has a clearly defined interface and conforms to a prescribed behavior common to all components within an architecture. In an SOA, resources are made available to other participants in the network as independent services that are accessed in a standardized way. A service is a unit of work done by a service provider to achieve desired end results for a service consumer. Both provider and consumer are roles played by software agents on behalf of their owners.